CARY, N.C. - Last month two professional organizers from Cary-based Minding Your Matters® left the comforts of their homes and spent nine days in Haiti as part of a company-sponsored outreach to an orphanage in the impoverished island nation. Katie Page, who spearheaded the trip, first visited the orphanage in Ouanaminthe, Haiti as part of a mission trip in 2006. This summer the orphanage, known as Hope for Haiti, asked her to return with her organizing skills.

When Page asked company president Janice Russell, CPO-CD for time off, Russell offered to help fund the trip. This time around, Page was accompanied by fellow Minding Your Matters® professional organizer Kc Coolbaugh, and it wasn't long before other local businesses and individuals were joining in to support the cause.

"It's tough to go to Haiti," said Coolbaugh, as she recounted the challenges they faced while in the third world country. "It's tough to live in Haiti, but it's tougher to leave Haiti. There's something about that nation, about the people, that catches your heart and just doesn't let go."

The purpose of this month's trip was to organize the flood of donations that the orphanage receives. The supplies arrive in a variety of packages and storage space is limited. The bags and boxes end up stored wherever possible, making them difficult to find and access when needed. Additionally, the Hope for Haiti Children's Center cares for more than 76 youngsters, leaving the caregivers little time to spend on sorting and organizing.

"Every day at the orphanage brings new challenges and situations," explained Page. "The systems we put in place are designed to change as the orphanage's needs change. Minding Your Matters® has always focused on the need to develop practical organizing and storage solutions, so this type of project was at the center of our expertise."

"The Center was spotless, but the storage areas definitely needed some organizing," recounted Coolbaugh. "It was obvious that Danita, Brenda & Karris (the women who run the Center) take pride in the kids and the buildings. The children were polite and eager to help, so we worked that into the plan. This helped teach the older kids how to help with the sorting and organizing in the future."

"The Hope for Haiti Center is a little piece of heaven surrounded by incredible poverty," said Coolbaugh. "We were so happy to have been able to make a small difference in their lives."

"The living conditions in Haiti are heartbreaking," Coolbaugh continued. "Outside the orphanage there are no luxuries, and most of the time there aren't even enough necessities to go around. A woman lives next door to the orphanage in what looked to be a house built out of cement blocks -- but the builders apparently never finished it. Approximately seven children live with her. Some of the older children had clothes, but there weren't enough for the younger ones. Everyone was barefoot and speaking the one English word that they knew, ‘food,' each time we walked past."

The difference in the Hope for Haiti children was striking.

Page explained, "Every one of Danita's children has shoes and clean clothes. Every one of them drinks clean water, eats healthy food and bathes every day. Everyone smiles - there is hope and laughter in their eyes."

For more information and to view pictures from Minding Your Matters trip to Haiti, please visit www.mindingyourmatters.com. For more information on the Hope for Haiti Children's Center, please visit www.danitaschildren.org.

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